Helmet help

[Guest]

I'm looking to get a new helmet in August

Honestly I don't care what price it is but it must be excellent value for money.

Basically what I'd like must be:

-Full face

-Pinlock ready/available (as long as I can get one)

-Good at noise protection

-Internal sun visor (unless the tinted visors are equally good)

-Preferably matte black

-Quick release preferred

The "tried and tested" section doesn't have the largest range of helmets.

And before you say "use the search button", I shall and am doing. I'd just like a personal opinion, whereas alot of opinions are "sponsor based"

Much appreciated.

Edited March 12, 2014 by Anonymous

[Joeman]

Shoei GT-Air Wanderer

its probably going to be my next helmet to replace my current Shoei XR-1000

[Guest]

Looks good from the reviews I've seen, thanks. That'll be on my list to try on

[littlecat]

to be honest...before asking for specific reccommendations, you should determine which brands your head is shaped to fit, then maybe ask for reviews from within those particular brands.

I , for example, unfortunately have a shoei shaped head, I love aria helmets, and hear great things about them...but they simply don't fit my head.

sharp apparently are great value for money, and come with lots of features, but again...pointless info for me , as they hurt, my head isn't sharp shaped.

I would find the nearest retailer with lots of choice of brands, go try them all on, determine which ones may or may not work...then ask the same question , but narrowed to those brands

[Guest]

Yes good point, I'll try some out soon! Thanks

[cruz]

I'm looking to get a new helmet in August

Basically what I'd like must be:

-Full face Yep

-Pinlock ready/available (as long as I can get one) yep

-Good at noise protection s'ok

-Internal sun visor (unless the tinted visors are equally good) yep

-Preferably matte black think so

-Quick release preferred yep

Box, I got mine at J&S in Bristol, I think it cost me £40

[Glorian]

Check out a Caberg V2RR thats what i use. decent helmet. matches most/all that criteria.

[Marmalade43]

I'm looking to get a new helmet in August

Basically what I'd like must be:

-Full face Yep

-Pinlock ready/available (as long as I can get one) yep

-Good at noise protection s'ok

-Internal sun visor (unless the tinted visors are equally good) yep

-Preferably matte black think so

-Quick release preferred yep

Box, I got mine at J&S in Bristol, I think it cost me £40

 

I'd say £40 is just slightly better value for money than the gold plated £470 shoei

[Joeman]

I'm looking to get a new helmet in August

Basically what I'd like must be:

-Full face Yep

-Pinlock ready/available (as long as I can get one) yep

-Good at noise protection s'ok

-Internal sun visor (unless the tinted visors are equally good) yep

-Preferably matte black think so

-Quick release preferred yep

Box, I got mine at J&S in Bristol, I think it cost me £40

 

I'd say £40 is just slightly better value for money than the gold plated £470 shoei

 

Its personal choice.

I like shoei lids. They fit my head, they are light weight, they tend to be quieter than cheaper lids, and they are well built and bits dont snap off.

At high speeds, the cheaper lids are often more noisy and problems occur with the moving parts.

Also the padding in cheaper lids has a tendancy to compress meaning that over time they become a loose fit. Loose fitting lids are annoying at speed and dangerous on impact.

You pays your money you take your choice, but you won't catch me wearing a 40quid lid anytime soon

[Marmalade43]

Someone asking for a value for money lid isn't asking for £400 recommendations.

Fine for someone who only rides when the sun shines and buys a new one evry 5 years but for me, a £100 caberg flip is fine, i replace it every 9 months or so, fits well, has every thing i need and has a 5* rating.

[Joeman]

Someone asking for a value for money lid isn't asking for £400 recommendations.

Fine for someone who only rides when the sun shines and buys a new one evry 5 years but for me, a £100 caberg flip is fine, i replace it every 9 months or so, fits well, has every thing i need and has a 5* rating.

 

The OP said he "didn't care what price". So I made a suggestion of a quality lid.

And if you spent a bit more on yours, maybe you wouldn't need a new one every 9months... as the old saying goes "Buy cheap, buy twice"

[BabyBaloo]

Someone asking for a value for money lid isn't asking for £400 recommendations.

Fine for someone who only rides when the sun shines and buys a new one evry 5 years but for me, a £100 caberg flip is fine, i replace it every 9 months or so, fits well, has every thing i need and has a 5* rating.

 

The lifetime of a helmet should be anywhere between 3 - 5 years, replacing your £100 helmet every 9 months where as a decent £300 - £400 pound helmet should last for, at minimum, 3 years. Baisc maths shows that 36 (amount of months in 3 years)/9 (the length of time you state you keep your helmet for * £100 (The amount you pay for your helmet) = £400 so its a bit of a false economy.

In my opinion (and it is an opinion) I would much prefer paying the £400 for a helmet than £100 and replace it more frequently.

The other thing to mention is that its never so much about how long a helmet will last, its about how well it will protect your noggin if you have to rely on that helmet.

I have seen it quoted else where "If you think you have a £25 head, buy a £25 helmet!"

[cruz]

A bit of additional info on the Box lid, it is made by Oxford products (you may have heard of them) and was 60% off.

J&S do some good deals so always worth a look when buying any kit.

As for the "£25 head", that is the most stupid comment I have heard for a while, as has been stated earlier all helmets have to reach a common standard otherwise cannot be sold in UK, the sharp test proved some years ago that the more costly lids are NOT always the safest.

[Joeman]

A bit of additional info on the Box lid, it is made by Oxford products (you may have heard of them) and was 60% off.

J&S do some good deals so always worth a look when buying any kit.

As for the "£25 head", that is the most stupid comment I have heard for a while, as has been stated earlier all helmets have to reach a common standard otherwise cannot be sold in UK, the sharp test proved some years ago that the more costly lids are NOT always the safest.

 

Since they are all pretty much as safer as eash other, you can rule out safety from the comparrison.

So what you are paying the extra for is quality, style and brand name.

The more expensive lids tend to be lighter, quieter, better made with removable (washable) linings, and visor mechanisms that dont break.

Whereas the cheaper lids tend to have fixed linings, higher wind noise and weigh more, and visor mechanisms that break more easily.

Similar to cars or bikes - yes a cheap old banger will get you from A to B, but if you spend a bit more you get peace of mind and some creature comforts, and something that might last a few years rather than a few months.

[Glorian]

Forgot to mention. Caberg V2RR i bought for £130

http://www.sportsbikeshop.co.uk/motorcy ... _rev/70530

£99 on that site though blimey.

[Marmalade43]

My helmets I change at 9 months because after 40,000 miles the visor td are usually scarred, the flips wear etc and cleaning them out gets pointless.

[Joeman]

The GT-Air is available with 100quids worth of freebies...

http://www.racevisors.co.uk/product/sho ... tAodWSQAcA

[ForestRunner]

Forgot to mention. Caberg V2RR i bought for £130

http://www.sportsbikeshop.co.uk/motorcy ... _rev/70530

£99 on that site though blimey.

 

I have that and an very happy with it. Cheap, but not nasty

[Guest]

Really appreciate the help And as to what Joeman saying about the lining become loose after time, I couldn't agree more! I'll try some of these lids soon! Thanks!

[johnnyturnip]

The GT-Air is available with 100quids worth of freebies...

http://www.racevisors.co.uk/product/sho ... tAodWSQAcA

 

that seems a decent deal.

i got a nexx xr1.r for £185 which i find a really good helmet better then my shoei xr1000.

[Guest]

to be honest...before asking for specific reccommendations, you should determine which brands your head is shaped to fit, then maybe ask for reviews from within those particular brands.

I , for example, unfortunately have a shoei shaped head, I love aria helmets, and hear great things about them...but they simply don't fit my head.

sharp apparently are great value for money, and come with lots of features, but again...pointless info for me , as they hurt, my head isn't sharp shaped.

I would find the nearest retailer with lots of choice of brands, go try them all on, determine which ones may or may not work...then ask the same question , but narrowed to those brands

 

I would have laughed at this three weeks ago, then my son bought his first bike and boy are you right about helmet fits, Shoei

[timmy164]

The most important part of picking your helmet is fit.

If it's too tight, then you wil loose concentration if it gets uncomfortable.

If its too 'baggy' then spending £400+ won't make any difference, it will still fall off in force of an impact.

Your primary concern needs to be safety, and COST does not necessarily mean better safety.

Agreed, a top quality helmet will give you great features, and comfort. But not always protection.

Just pay a visit to the sharp.gov web page to see some very interesting results.

I got my 13yo daughter (a very infrequent visitor to the pillion on my bike) a Box helmet for £40, it scores four stars for safety and she likes the colour!

My personal helmet is a Shark, it cost me over £200, but again scored four star for safety, but it offers a better quality, comfort, and sound resistance, over the cheap (but safe) Box helmet.

The Caberg 'Duke' is quite cheap, £140'ish, it's a flip front style that has passed both EU tests for being worn either open or closed. It scores a mighty five stars on the Sharp web page.

When I was younger I would only ever buy Arai helmets, but I wonder if they trade a little on a perceived reputation. A bit like Stella Artois beer selling its product "reasuringly expensive"